This is an editorial guide provided for information only. fortunegames.com is an online slots site and is not affiliated with, nor an agent of, the Irish National Lottery, Premier Lotteries Ireland or any operator named. Always check the official site for the latest information.
Do You Win Anything for 2 Numbers on the Irish Lotto? Only With the Bonus
Two numbers win on the Irish Lotto only when the Bonus number is also on your line: Match 2 + Bonus pays a fixed €4 in the main draw and a fixed €3 in each of Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, subject to an overall prize cap. Two main numbers without the Bonus win nothing, and the odds of Match 2 + Bonus are about 1 in 64 per line.
Prefer numbers? Slingo mixes a slot with a 5×5 number grid, and online scratchcards give an instant result.
18+. New players only. Welcome offer and T&Cs.
How Match 2 + Bonus works
Each line is six numbers chosen from 1 to 45. Every draw produces six winning numbers and then one Bonus number, taken from the balls still left in the machine. Under the rules, the Bonus only counts in the prize tiers that pair it with matched main numbers, so it lifts a line with two correct numbers into the lowest prize tier, Match 2 + Bonus.
That tier is not shared. Most Irish Lotto prizes are pari-mutuel: a tier's pool is split among its winners, so the amount moves from draw to draw. Match 2 + Bonus and Match 3 are the exceptions: the current rules for the 45-ball game set both at a fixed €4 per winning line, whatever the number of winners.
Two numbers in the main draw and the Plus draws
Lotto Plus costs an extra €1 on every €2 line and enters the same numbers in two more draws held after the main draw.
| Draw | Match 2 + Bonus prize | Odds per line |
|---|---|---|
| Lotto (main draw) | €4 | 1 in 64 |
| Lotto Plus 1 | €3 | 1 in 64 |
| Lotto Plus 2 | €3 | 1 in 64 |
Each Plus draw has its own winning numbers and Bonus, and the odds of Match 2 + Bonus are the same in each. Lotto Plus prizes are fixed but can be reduced if an overall prize cap is reached.
The prizes just above two numbers
One more correct number moves a line into Match 3, and adding the Bonus to three numbers moves it up again. The main-draw Match 3 + Bonus prize is pari-mutuel, so the table gives the rules' expected amount.
| What you match | Main draw prize | Lotto Plus prize | Odds per line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 + Bonus | €4 (fixed) | €3 | 1 in 64 |
| 3 | €4 (fixed) | €2 | 1 in 48 |
| 3 + Bonus | Varies (about €20 expected) | €6 | 1 in 579 |
Both pay €4 in the main game, although Match 3 comes up more often. In the Plus draws the order flips: Match 2 + Bonus pays €3, a euro more than Match 3.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you win for 1 number on the Irish Lotto?
Nothing: one main number doesn't reach any Irish Lotto prize tier, even with the Bonus. The smallest prize in the main game and in both Plus draws needs at least two main numbers plus the Bonus.
What are the Irish Lotto odds for 2 numbers?
Two numbers only pay with the Bonus, at odds of about 1 in 64. Across all eight main-draw tiers a line has a 1 in 25.4 chance of any prize, so about 24 lines in every 25 win nothing.
How many numbers are in the Irish Lotto?
The pool is 45 balls, cut from 47 starting with the Saturday 5 September 2026 draw; after six winning numbers are drawn, the Bonus comes from the 39 balls left.
Related guides: the Irish Lotto Plus Raffle, 2 numbers on UK Powerball and 1 number on UK Powerball.
Checked on 2 November 2026 against Premier Lotteries Ireland's Lotto 6/45 Rules and Lotto Plus Rules (both Issue 10, September 2026) and the Irish National Lottery's How to Play Lotto page. How we research and check our guides: our editorial policy.